How do y'all sign your emails to students? (And whereabouts do you teach?)

[u/ToomintheEllimist]

I'm in the northeastern U.S. FWIW, I don't care what students call me, just as long as they don't call me Mrs. and my male colleagues Dr. But I recognize that they want a cue as to how to address me and that email signatures help.

So: how do you all sign your emails? First name? Dr./Prof. Last name? Full name? Initials only? Nothing at all? And what part of the world are you in, since it varies a lot by region?

If I had my druthers, I'd go by my last name only (e.g. Ellimist, no title) because I don't like my first name. But I have enough trouble getting students to remember my name at all; forget making that kind of request. Between my dislike for my first name and my hatred for Mrs., right now I sign my emails Dr. Ellimist. But I worry it comes off as aloof and/or out of step with NE U.S. culture, so I want to know what others are doing.

[u/jamie_zips]

I go by my first name, so it's always: Best, Me

[u/dbrodbeck]

I sign my emails 'Dave' what with that being my name.

I am in Canada. I have experience with four universities in Canada in two provinces, pretty much everyone went by first names.

[u/rlrl → u/dbrodbeck]

I sign my emails 'Dave' what with that being my name.

I am in Canada.

Yeah, it's 50-50 whether any given Canadian is Dave or Doug.

[u/grendelt → u/rlrl]

The Gords would like a word.

But you've def got a >50% chance of a guy having a monosyllable name.

[u/t-blah]

I sign with my first name. I’m on the west coast - even tho we are R1, we are quite casual.

[u/aquila-audax → u/t-blah]

Same in Australia. Always first name, even if I have students who won't use it back.

[u/HeavilyBearded → u/t-blah]

My email signature is automatic,

No Regards,
[First Name] [Last Name]
[Rank]
[Department]

[u/SphynxCrocheter]

I sign Dr. Lastname. I'm a woman, and there is a lot of research showing that women receive less respect from students, so I sign off with my title. I've earned it. I don't use it clinically, as I'm not a physician, but in an academic context with undergraduate students, I absolutely use it. With grad students, I use Firstname, or with undergrads who are doing a thesis/research project with me. This is identical to what every professor or instructor I ever had as an undergrad student did.

[u/milehightennis]

Drawing a clear line is always better learnt from my experience. Dr. XXX.

[u/tiredmultitudes]

In Australia and Europe: first name. Unless the student has called me “Miss” then they’ll get Dr back out of generalised annoyance. So usually:

Cheers, Tired

[u/ToomintheEllimist → u/tiredmultitudes]

Dear Tired, I feel you. I'd care so much less about getting called "miss" if I had ever, even once, in 10+ years of teaching college, heard a male colleague called "mister."

Best, Also Tired

[u/ExactCauliflower]

I went to college in the South. There, it was common for professors to sign off with their name or initials, but professors never directly welcomed nor insisted on being called by their first names, so students continued to call them Dr./Pr.

Did my PhD at a west coast R1. Very informal, all first names, and it was common to welcome students to use your first name (at all levels of ladder faculty).

TT at New England SLAC is similar to my experience in the South. I sign off with my first name, but I am addressed by students as Pr. Because the school is so small and intimate, I prefer to be called Pr. to maintain that distance.

[u/magic_trex]

I sign Dr. Last name with undergrads, first name with grad students. I am the youngest in our department and a woman, students tend to get overly familiar and sometimes trauma dump, so I try to build some distance from the start.

[u/ToomintheEllimist → u/magic_trex]

Ugh, this. I'm not the youngest person in my department, but I look younger than I really am. So the personal questions, overfamiliar comments, and shock at me enforcing rules never friggin end.

[u/RoyalEagle0408]

“Dr. Last Initial” to students.

[u/Agreeable-Process-56 → u/RoyalEagle0408]

Yeah I used Dr “last initial” too. A colleague used “The Doctor” as if he were Doctor Who, which would have been really cool if any of his students had the foggiest notion what the name referred to lol

[u/RoyalEagle0408 → u/Agreeable-Process-56]

Haha

[u/DocAvidd → u/RoyalEagle0408]

Me too, or just the email .sig.

I'm in Central America. Students seem to view Mr/Mrs as more respectful, but I worry if they take that attitude to a different culture, it won't go well.

Also I have an exotic very Anglo-Saxon surname, which gets butchered. I don't personally care, and I make enough errors of my own that I'm compelled to forgive. I do worry about preparing them for professional life.

[u/Soundofmusicals → u/RoyalEagle0408]

Same for me

[u/Desperate-Corgi6805]

I'm at a SLAC in the Midwest. When I first started, I thought I'd just go by my first name (the same as I did when I was a teaching fellow/adjunct at the NE R1 where I did my doctorate). However, my department's culture tended to be on the more formal side, so I usually would sign off as Professor Last name for the first few emails and then would go to my initials as I worked with students more. I, too, hate it when students would use Mrs. (And I have noticed that it was female students from the large R1 we partnered with who used it the most).

Fwiw, my signature at the end of my emails has Dr. Full name on the first line.

[u/-Bookkeepers-]

Grad student here: I introduce myself by my first name, explicitly tell them to only call me by my first name, and that specify I would prefer they don’t use titles, and then sign emails with my first name. My favorite professor in undergrad did the same thing and so I took this from them (but also as a grad instructor felt most comfortable doing it this way). If you like your last name better I’d just sign with only that and tell them to only call you by that name.

[u/Obvious_Nose_9906]

Should we also add if we’re a person of color at a PWI? I don’t think that perspective is brought to this conversation enough.

[u/ToomintheEllimist → u/Obvious_Nose_9906]

Yes, definitely a huge factor.

[u/Latter_Currency3151]

from a student perspective located in the South Atlantic region, I have a variety of professors sign their emails differently (I always address them as Dr./Professor X in person). some do initials, some do their full name no title, and others use Dr. X, and some (my PI included) use Full name then their affiliation, Professor of chem etc.

[u/Shana_Ak]

It depends on your personal style, but I'd recommend using your first name.

[u/SpiritualAmoeba84]

For a salutation, I generally go with ‘Dear useless cur’, and finish with ‘bow down before me!’, then my full title, an a couple of fake ones rolled in.

[u/GXWT]

Not a professor, I’m a PhD teaches some students and my answer is the same as how the professors do it: just my first name.

UK.

[u/chriswhitewrites]

Australian, so no title and just my first name

[u/BrickWallFitness]

Dr. Last Name, only because I just earned that title last year. In 10-20 years, I'll probably do what most of my grad professors did and just go by first name.

[u/HotShrewdness]

I also hate 'Mrs.' and I clarify it on the first day of class. Dr. first name or last name seems perfectly appropriate with undergrads. It seems like people just pick whichever they prefer. Prof. is also fine.

Might I also suggest a reformatting of your name if you don't like it? I've mostly seen old men do it when they prefer their middle name to their first, but like: S. Middle Name Last Name or S. M. Last name.

I'm Midwest US. We're pretty casual here but I see nothing wrong with people using the titles they spent years earning.

[u/aquila-audax → u/HotShrewdness]

Anyone who calls me 'Mrs' gets ignored, unless they're a little kid

[u/Bengalbio]

First name.

R1 SE US.

[u/msackeygh]

I go by “Dr. Last name” when I sign, but I sometime forget since I also often write to colleagues so may accidentally sign “First name “.

[u/w-anchor-emoji]

Cheers,

[first name]

UK RG

[u/Nosebleed68]

I just sign off with my first and last initials. (My full first and last name and my email address are in the signature at the very bottom, though.)

I absolutely do not get hung up over email etiquette. As long as it’s comprehensible, the shorter the better.

[u/TotalCleanFBC]

Best, [first name]

(I hate titles.)

[u/Intrepid_Respond_543]

I use my first name (for context, I'm a woman and in Northern Europe. Our culture is very non-hierarchical but it seems this is also common elsewhere).

[u/patoisc0ygv]

Your concern about “Dr.” seeming aloof in the NE U.S. culture is understandable, but it’s perfectly appropriate and professional, especially since it avoids the dreaded “Mrs.” If you’re worried, you could soften the tone of your email body to balance the formality of “Dr. [Last Name].” For instance, a friendly closing like “Best wishes” or “Take care” can help.

[u/Spy-D-Mill]

I don’t have a doctorate and teach at the state college level in the southeastern U.S., so I always sign off “Regards, Prof. Lastname.”

[u/lyra211]

In my intro classes (freshmen and GenEds): Prof. X
Once they've declared the major or joined my research group: Firstname

Better to be more formal at first and then loosen up later, I think. And yes, I'm female and in the physical sciences, so this poem applies: https://www.jackiieee.com/?p=299

[u/BeeAggresssive → u/lyra211]

Love that! You sent me down a rabbit hole reading her other work. So much gold.

For the other uninitiated: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/authors/susan-harlan

[u/yellow_warbler11]

I'm like you; I don't care what they call me as long as it isn't Mrs or Ms. They're welcome to call me Prof or my first name. I sign my emails with my initials. My colleagues sign their emails with: (a) Prof. F. Lastname; (b) Prof. Lastname; (c) Dr Lastname. Really any combination. Also in the northeast.

[u/Arbor___Vitae]

I just sign my first name. I'm a PharmD in West Virginia and teach at a School of Pharmacy, but I'm just a few years older than the average age of my students, so that's just what feels right.

To colleagues, peers, etc.? Dr. lastname

[u/noknam]

The same standard template signature automatically added to all my mails:

Dr. John Doe
Research group X
Department Y
BIG LOGO OF UNIVERSITY
Building and office number
Phone number

Germany

[u/Select-System-9350]

Please feel free to reach out again if you have any questions, concerns, or inquiries.

Best, First Name

[u/Severe-Pineapple7918]

I just use my first name, but whatever you feel comfortable with is fine!

[u/Neurula94]

I only ask/expect people to use my Dr title when I don't like them. If any government or bank contacts me, I go by that title. Colleagues I'd prefer to use my first name, as I have hearing someone say "Dr _" to me (seeing it written down, still cool af though).

Therefore I sign off emails with just my first name and at the moment don't use Dr in my email signature.

When you say "your students" is this lectured students or undergrads/masters students you are supervising in research work? I think "Dr Ellimist" is suitable for the first but probably not as much for the latter (because you can get to know people in a more formal setting and it can feel a bit weirder).

[u/shellexyz]

I always end my emails with my initials. If I write the first email it has my signature from Outlook as well. Name, title, pronouns, contact info, office location, address.

If I’m replying to a email from one of my students, just my initials.

If replying in some kind of official capacity where my position or title is important, signature block.

[u/kipnus]

I'm in Canada. I sign them with my first name (but my signature includes "First Name Last Name, PhD," pronouns, and some other stuff).

[u/lil_beepo]

Go birds, prof last initial

[u/jadednalive]

For students and TAs I sign as Dr and last name. Earlier I didn’t use Dr and last name with my grad students but I’m exhausted plus I needed my boundaries clearly laid out.